Valkyrie - Volume 2
by Bluebox345
Summary: Assignment: capture Nebula for Xandar. Sidetrack Assignment: Save the galaxy from Ego. After Ego saves the team from The Sovereign, Peter and Valkyrie reunite with their father. Can Peter stop fighting for Ego's attention long enough to notice something is wrong with Val and can Val save Peter from Ego's mind control while fighting for her own life? 2/3 in the Prison Report Series.
1. Prologue

**Valkyrie Vol. 2**

 _Bluebox345_

 **A/N:** This story will be updated on the first Saturday of every month. I picture Valkyrie to look a bit like Laura Bailey. Valkyrie's theme song is _Skyworld_ by: Two Steps From Hell. I also have written _Doctor Who_ and _Avengers_ stories, for any who are interested.

 **Summary:** Assignment: capture Nebula for Xandar. Sidetrack Assignment: Save the galaxy from Ego. After Ego saves the team from The Sovereign, Peter and Valkyrie reunite with their father. Can Peter stop fighting for Ego's attention long enough to notice something is wrong with Val and can Val save Peter from Ego's mind control while fighting for her own life?

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Marvel, Disney does. I only own my OC's (Ex: Valkyrie). I do not own the picture I used for the cover. This Disclaimer extends through the entire story.

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _ **The Newly Refurbished Milano**_

It had only been two weeks of drifting through the galaxy after the fight with Ronan and the team was already at each other's throats. Drax had stomped off somewhere after Gamora offended him, Rocket was somewhere tweaking his weapons and probably making other dangerous material. Baby Groot was sleeping in Rocket's room.

Valkyrie was currently in the co-pilot's seat in the Milano, Peter sitting next to her. The Milanao was quiet, for the moment. This rarely happened with a group of individuals such as the Guardians of the Galaxy.

"Peter?" Valkyrie asked, turning her head to Peter Quill, whom she found out two weeks ago that he was her half brother.

Peter Quill turned to look at Valkyrie, "Yes Val?"

Valkyrie swallowed, "How are you?"

Peter looked at Val, puzzled, "How am I?"

"Yeah, with everything… I mean, we're related. We've never really talked about that."

Peter turned to look out into space and slowly put the Milano on auto-pilot. He took a breath then stated, "I haven't really thought about it. It's been hectic… how do you feel about it? Knowing that you father had other children? And not by the same mother."

Valkyrie looked down and didn't respond for a few moments then finally responded, "I guess it says a lot about his character."

Peter grimaced, "I guess so."

Silence.

Then Peter starts, "Do you… I mean…. I don't want anything to change about us. I like our friendship. It's… it's real. One of the only real friendships I've ever had. I don't want that to go away."

Val smiled, "You've changed, Peter, since we met. You're not the same man I know now. You've grown up… slightly."

"Awww, thanks."

"I agree with you, though. We should continue to be friends, but evolve it into brother and sister relationship over time. I've only had one brother, er adopted brother, my entire life. I've only known you for about two weeks now."

"Soooo, friends and later after we get to know eachother a bit more, see if we can get to a brother sister relationship?"

Valkyrie gave a smile and a quick nod, "Agreed." Then Valkyrie's wrist device that she got from her mother as a parting gift dinged. She talked with her mother about how reconstruction of Xandar was going and how the people were doing.

Then Nova Prime got to the real reason why she called, "I have an assignment for the Guardians of the Galaxy."

At this part, Peter leaned in, "Assignment… will there be cash involved?"

Nova Prime seemed like she coughed but Val knew her well enough to be able to tell that she covered up a snort, "Peter Quill, yes. There will be credits involved. I have an assignment for you. Capture Nebula."

Peter's eyes widened, "Well, that's a mighty big assignment. That's gonna cost you."

"We know. And we are prepared to pay it."

Peter Quill and Valkyrie Rael shared a look, then together said, "We're in."


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I looked up the spelling of the Abilisk (the creature the group fights at the beginning of the movie) on GOTG 2 music soundtrack. So, hopefully It's spelled correctly there.

 **Useful Info.-**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** is writing.

"..." **-** is dialogue.

'...' **-** is thoughts.

* * *

 **Chapter 1- The Abilisk**

 _ **The Sovereign- Platform**_

The gang was on a platform that contained five big orange glowing power generators which were powered by Anulax batteries. The Sovereign had hired the group (which was now referred to as the Guardian's of the Galaxy) to protect them from a creature called the Abilisk which was currently making a beeline for the platform.

Peter Quill stood with his device in front of everyone else with Valkyrie Rael next to him holding two rectangular box-looking guns that Rocket had made for her. Gamora stood slightly to Valkyrie's left and Drax to Peter's right. Rocket was fiddling with the music system that he had designed and Baby Groot walked around curiously next to him.

"Showtime, A-holes!" Peter Quill stated as he looked at the device he was using to track the Abilisk's movement. "It will be here any minute."

"Which will be it's loss." Gamora, Thanos's ex-adoptive daughter remarked as she cocked the gigantic gun she was olding. Each of the guardians, sans Drax, was wearing a one of Rocket's Aero-rigs, which allowed the user to fly through the air.

At the sound of the cock Peter looked over at Gamora, "I thought your thing was a sword?"

Gamora gave Peter an 'are you stupid?' look and responded with, "We've been hired to stop an interdimensional beast from feeding on those batteries and I'm gonna stop it with a sword?"

"It's just, swords were your thing and guns were mine. But I guess we're both doing guns now. I just didn't know that." Peter stated, shifting from one foot to the other and biting his lip while glancing down at the tracking device.

Trying to defuse the flirting, Valkyrie turns and looks at Drax, noticing for the first time that he wasn't wearing one of the Aero-rigs, "Drax, why aren't you wearing one of Rocket's Areo-rigs?"

Drax turned away from her and mumbles, "It hurts."

"It hurts?"

"I have sensitive nipples." Drax mumbled.

Valkyrie sighed, shook her head and turned back to look at the device Peter was holding to see if the creature was almost here.

Rocket laughed, "My nipples hurt! Oh goodness me!" He lifted his paws to rotate where his were underneath his aero-rig.

Drax turned and pointed at Rocket, "What about him? What is he doing?"

"I'm finishing this so that we can listen to tunes while we work." Rocket said, motioning to the sound system.

"How is that a priority?" Drax asked.

Rocket motioned to Peter, "Blame Quill. He's the one who loves music so much."

Peter looked puzzled, "No, I actually agree with Drax on this. That's hardly important right now."

"Okay. Sure. Quill." Rocket said while blinking his left eye… in view of the rest of the group.

"No. Seriously. I side with Drax."

"No, I understand that. You're being very serious right now." Rocket blinked his left eye again and Valkyrie rolled her eyes at the bickering, turning to look up at the sky, watching out for the creature.

"I can clearly see you winking." Drax stated.

Rocket huffs, "Damn it. I'm using my left eye?"

The attention pulled off of Rocket and onto Baby Groot when he started to fight with small lizard-like creatures. He drove them off for a second, straightened up and adorably stated, "I Am Groot!" His fists were tightly closed into fists and Valkyrie thought it was the most adorable thing.

Rocket sighed, "They were not looking at you funny." Suddenly a thunder-like sound ricocheted across the area. The Abilisk was here. It came through the clouds and roared. "Well, That's intense." Rocket stated.

The Abilisk crashes into the platform and Drax yells while holding out the two swords in both hands and charges at the creature. Everyone else follows suit and flies in with their aero suits, attacking the thing all at once.

Music came out of nowhere and Valkyrie knew that Baby Groot turned it on. She would have to thank him later.

After a couple minutes of fighting, Rocket flew over to Baby Groot who was about to eat a fly-looking creature, "No! Spit it out! Spit it Out! Come on!" Rocket hits Baby Groot and the fly flies free from almost being eaten." Rocket then flies away, taking back out his gun and stated, "Disgusting!"

The Guardian's of the Galaxy fight the creature for a couple more minutes and Drax suddenly smashes into Rockets sound system, making Baby Groot begin to attack him but Drax shrugs him off and stands up.

Gamora and Valkyrie back up, firing their guns at the Abilisk. Nothing seemed to be able to penetrate it.

"The beast's hide is too thick to be pierced from the outside." Drax stated, "I must cut through it from the inside."

At that, Valkyrie glanced at Drax, startled, "What?!"

"Huh," Gamora also asked, "No, no!"

"Wait a minute! Drax!" Valkyrie yelled, putting her hand out and running to him, followed by Gamora, but Drax paid no attention to them and ran at the creature, yelling and charged right into it's mouth. The creature swallowed him whole.

Peter pushed a button and his helmet collapsed down to behind his ear, staring at the creature in disbelief, "What is he doing?" Peter yelled.

"He said the skin is too thick to be pierced from the outside; so he-"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Peter interrupted.

"Gamora and I tried to tell him that." Valkyrie said frustrated.

Peter continued, "Skin is the same level of thickness from the inside as from the outside!"

Gamora turns to Peter and says angrily, "I realize that!"

Peter puts some more ammo into his gun, "There is a cut on its neck." Peter turns toward Rocket who is still firing his guns at it from the air, distracting it so that Gamora, Peter and Valkyrie could talk, "Rocket, get it to look up." He then flies up to the Abilisk and fires at it saying, "Hey, you giant Sea-Monkey! Up here!" Valkyrie follows Rocket and Drax up, distracting the Abilisk so that Gamora could go in for the kill.

Gamora goes for her gun, but it is jammed so she brings out and extends her sword, runs and jumps up onto the creature and leaps to the creature's neck, bringing her sword in and down the creature's underbelly, bringing it down on the ground, dead.

Drax slides out of the open wound, alive and laughing. He stood on his knees and raised his swords over his head, "Yes! I have single-handedly vanquished the beast!" Everyone stood around him with disbelief and annoyance. Gamora and Valkyrie crossed their arms. Baby Groot throws a stone at Drax and he stops laughing, bringing his arms back down, "What?"

* * *

After the group explained to Drax what had happened, Drax was a bit put out but was still enjoying the thrill of being inside the Abilisk's stomach and surviving didn't really care that much. The group stood around the main Anulax battery storage system cleaning up from the battle.

Peter and Valkyrie took off their Aero-rig suits and Valkyrie stretched her arms over her head.

"What are they called again?" Drax asked, using a towel to wipe off the sweat from his body.

Peter put back on his red Ravager jacket, "Anulax batteries"

"Harbulary batteries." Drax repeated… the wrong word.

"That's nothing like I just said. But their worth thousands of units apiece which is why the Sovereign hired us to protect them." Peter explained for the billionth time, "Careful what you say around these folks. They're easily offended. The cost of transgression is death."

* * *

 _ **The Sovereign- Government Palace**_

The Guardian's of the Galaxy stood in the Sovereign's throne room, receiving praise for defeating the Abilisk from The Sovereign's leader. Everything in the room was gold colored, including the skin of the Sovereigns.

"We thank you, Guardians for putting your lives on the line. We could not risk the lives of our own Sovereign citizens. Every citizen is born exactly as designed by the community. Impeccable, both physically and mentally. We control the DNA of our progeny, germinating them in birthing pods."

Peter spoke up then, "I guess I prefer to make people the old-fashioned way." Valkyrie rolled her eyes.

"Perhaps someday, you could give me a history lesson in the archaic ways of our ancestors…. For academic purposes."

At the Sovereigns response to Peter's flirting, Valkyrie glanced at Gamora and saw her lips tighten and her mouth twist into a small frown.

"I would be honored. Yes…. In the name of research I think that could be pretty-" Peter turns and looks at Gamora, who is staring intently at Peter. He turns back to the Sovereign, "repulsive. I'm not into that kind of casual…."

Gamora steps forward, finally annoyed with Peter's flailing around and stated in a clearly annoyed voice, "Oh please. Your people promised something in exchange for our services. Bring it and we shall gladly be on our way."

The Sovereign nods and two Sovereigns bring out a hooded figure and forcing them to the ground. The two guards pull back the hood to reveal Nebula. Both ex-adopted sisters stared at each other, the hatred very clear to everyone else in the room.

"Family reunion. Yay." Peter said sarcastically, bringing his hands up and waving them really fast then put them down once he realized no one else was amused.

The Sovereign started to speak, "I understand she is your sister."

Gamora narrowed her eyes, "She's worth no more to me than the bounty due for her on Xandar." She moves forward and grabs Nebula, forcing her to stand up and brought her next to her.

"Our soldiers apprehended her attempting to steal the batteries." The Sovereign stood up and clasped her hands in front of her, "Do with her as you please."

Gamora forced Nebula to walk and Gamora stalked out of the throne room, keeping a close watch on Nebula. Valkyrie bowed and followed, keeping a careful eye on Nebula.

Peter bowed, "We thank you, High Priestess Ayesha."

He turned around but stopped when the High Priestess asked him a question, "What is your heritage? Mr. Quill. And your's Miss. Rael?"

Valkyrie frowns, "I don't see how that is any of your business."

At that Valkyrie stops a couple feet from the door. Gamora and Nebula stop as well, "My mother is from Earth."

"And your father?" Ayesha asked, eyes focused on Peter after giving Valkyrie a death glare.

"He ain't from Missouri. That's all I know." Peter responded.

"I see it within you. An unorthodox genealogy. A hybrid that seems particularly reckless.

"You know, they told me you people were concelted douchebags," Rocket began, turning his head toward Peter, "but that isn't true at all." Rocket winks with his left eye… in full view of the court. A guard moves forward and raises his gun, "Oh shit. I'm using my wrong eye again, aren't I?"

Peter makes the correct decision and turns around to walk away. Drax picked up Rocket and pulled him away before he could say anything else but Rocket kept on talking, "I'm sorry. That was meant to be behind your back."

Drax lets go of Rocket and Rocket turns around and walks out on his own, Drax commenting, "Count yourself blessed they didn't kill you."

"You're telling me." Rocket opened up his bag a bit and showed Drax his bounty, "You wanna buy some batteries?" Drax burst out laughing.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Sorry I put this on Hiatus, I was taking my capstone history class this semester which required a 25-30 page research paper on top of my other classes. This fic will now resume its regular schedule posting on January 6th (If I can get internet access on the cruise, if I can't I'll update on January 20th).

 **Chapter 2- Dad?**

On The Milano, "Lake Shore Drive" played as the gang flew away from The Sovereign's world. Valkyrie sat on a chair while Peter paced next to her. Valkyrie was silent while Peter took off his shirt and tossed it to the side and picked up a blue long sleeve shirt and sniffed it.

Valkyrie noticed and rolled her eyes, "Eww, Peter. If it smells, wash it."

"It's not bad." Peter responded, pulling the shirt over his head and on. Valkyrie looked to her left to see Gamora slapping hand-cuffs on Nebula's wrists. They moved off to the front of the ship.

"Out with it." Valkyrie said, standing up, hands on her hips.

Peter scrunched up his brows, "Out with what?"

"You're troubled."

Peter sighed, "That stuff about my father… Who does she think she is?"

Valkyrie gave a small sigh, "Peter, I know you're still sensitive about that-"

"I'm not sensitive about it." Peter snapped, "I just... don't know who he is."

She crossed her arms, "Well, neither do I!" Silence. Then in a smaller voice, "Sorry…. You should probably go apologize to your girlfriend."

"For what?" Peter said in an annoyed tone.

"Flirting with the High Priestess." Valkyrie shot back.

"Fine." Peter stalked off to the front of the ship. Valkyrie could hear their conversation from were she was standing, "Sorry if it seemed like I was flirting with the High Priestess. I wasn't."

Gamora responded, "I don't care if you were."

"Well, I feel like you do care. That's why I'm apologizing. So, sorry!" Peter stalked back to the room, glaring at Valkyrie.

"Gamora is not the one for you, Quill." Drax said, suddenly appearing.

Peter muttered, "Damn shadow."

"There are two types of beings in the universe… those who dance, and those who do not."

Valkyrie snorted.

"Mmm-hmm." Peter got out.

* * *

"I first met my beloved at a war rally." Drax began.

Peter looked at Valkyrie with a look of horror, "Oh, God."

"Everyone in the village flailed about, dancing. Except one woman. My Ovette. I knew immediately she was the one for me. The most melodic song in the world could be playing. She wouldn't even tap her foot. Wouldn't move a muscle. One might assume she was dead."

"That does sound pretty hot." Peter remarked.

"It would make my nether regions engorge."

"Okay. I get it, yes. I'm a dancer, Gamora is not."

"You just need to find a woman who is pathetic… like you." Drax stated and Valkyrie covered up her snort with a cough.

"Mmm." Peter hummed.

"This is weird, we got a Sovereign fleet approaching from the rear." Valkyrie let the rest of her friends know after looking at the monitor.

Gamora walked up next to her, stared at the screen and asked, "Why would they do that?"

"Probably 'cause Rocket stole some of their batteries." Drax stated.

Rocket threw his hands up, "Dude!" Gamora sat on the chair behind the co-pilot.

"Right…" Drax started awkwardly, "He didn't steal some of those. I don't know why they're after us, what a mystery this is."

Peter turned to glare at Rocket, "What were you thinking?"

"Dude, they were really easy to steal!"

Valkyrie rolled her eyes, "That's your defense?"

"Come on! You saw how that High Priestess talked down to us. Now I'm teaching her a lesson!"

"I didn't realize your motivation was altruism." Peter stated sarcastically, "It's really a shame the Sovereign's mistaking your intentions and they're trying to kill us."

"Exactly."

"I was being sarcastic!"

"Oh, no! You're supposed to use a sarcastic voice! Now I look foolish!"

Gamora sighed, looked at Valkyrie and the two shared an eye roll, "Can your bickering on a hold until after we survive this massive space battle?"

"More incoming!"

"Good, I want to kill some guys!"

"What's the nearest habitable planet?" Valkyrie asked, seated in the seat behind the pilot seat. Rocket and Peter sat in the co-pilot and pilot seats.

"It's called Berhert." Gamora helped.

"How many jumps?" Peter asked.

"Only one. But the access point is 47 clicks away. And you have to go through that quantum asteroid field." Gamora replied.

"Quill, to make it through that you'd have to be the greatest pilot in the universe." Drax remarked.

"Lucky for us, I-" Peter started and then was interrupted.

"I am." Rocket interrupted, changing the piloting to his chair. He glared at Peter, "What are you doing?"

"I've been flying this rig since I was 10 years old." Peter changed the piloting to his side.

"I was cybernetically engineered to pilot a spacecraft." Rocket shot back, and changed it back to his.

"You were cybernetically engineered to be a douchebag!" Peter snapped, and took back control to his side.

"Stop it guys!" Valkyrie tried to get them to stop.

"Later on tonight, you're gonna be laying down, there's gonna be something squishy in your pillowcase. And you're gonna be like, "what's this?", and it's gonna be because I put a turd in there." Rocket took back control to him.

"You put your turd in my bed and I shave you!"

"Oh, it won't be my turd. It'll be Drax's." Peter huffed at this and took back the pilot controls.

Drax laughed, "I have famously huge turds!"

Gamora rubbed her forehead, "We're about to die, and this is what we're discussing?" Then Peter and Rocket kept on going back and forth, trying to take back control of their chair for flight.

"Son of a-" Rocket started.

"Dude!" Peter shot back, "Seriously!"

"Hey! Let me…" Suddenly there was a huge explosion and Valkyrie quicky strapped herself in as the ship began to spin out of control. Groot was lifted up, Peter caught him and caused him back to Drax who caught him and held him close to his chest. Peter pressed the airlock seal just in case something happened and the wind calmed down.

"Idiots!" They heard Nebula yell from below.

"Well, that's what you get - when Quill flies." Rocket smirked.

Gamora threw something at Rocket, "Ow!"

"We still have a Sovereign craft behind us." Valkyrie commented.

"Our weapons are down." Peter updated the group.

"20 clicks to the jump!" Gamora yelled, "Hold on. 15 clicks to the jump! 10 clicks!"

Valkyrie noticed that Drax wasn't in the room anymore and realized that it was probably him that took out the last Sovereign craft.

"Five clicks!" Gamora yelled.

They came out of the field and… saw a whole bunch of other Sovereign crafts waiting for them, "Son of a… They went around the field!" Peter stated.

"One click!" Gamora yelled.

"What is that?" Rocket noticed the huge ship with a small figure standing on top of it. Valkyrie winced as pain flared in her temple. She rubbed it and it calmed down.

"Who cares? That's the jump point! Go!" Peter yelled.

"It's a guy." Rocket stated.

"Oh, my God. He's still out there?" Gamora noticed Drax still tethered to the spaceship, out in space.

"Groot, put your seatbelt on! Prepare for a really bad landing!" Valkyrie stated as the Milano crash landed on the planet below.

After the Milano had come to a stop, Drax cheered, "That was awesome! Yes!"

* * *

Valkyrie had a cut over her left eyebrow and some bruising, but otherwise she was okay. Everyone was gathered outside of the Milano, which was now destroyed.

"Look at this!" Valkyrie yelled, "Where is the other half of our ship?"

"My ship." Peter stated. Valkyrie winced and Gamora took over the scolding.

"Either one of you could have gotten us through that field… had you flown with what's between your ears instead of what's between your legs!"

"If what's between my legs had a hand on it… I guarantee I could have landed this ship with it."

"Peter, we almost died because of your arrogance." Gamora scolded Peter.

"More like because he stole… the Anulax batteries!" Peter pointed at Rocket.

"They're called Harbulary batteries." Drax stated.

"No, they're not!" Peter threw his hands up.

"Do you know why I did it, Star-Munch? Hmm?"

"I'm not gonna answer to "Star-Munch."

"I did it because I wanted to!"

"Dick."

"What are we even talking about this for? We just had a little man save us by blowing up fifty ships!" Rocket stated.

"How little?" Drax asked.

Rocket held his thumb and forefinger close together, "Well, I don't know, like this?"

"A little one-inch man saved us?" Valkyrie questioned, crossing her arms.

"Well, if he got closer, I'm sure he would be much larger." Rocket stated.

"It's how eyesight works, you stupid raccoon." Peter shot back.

"Don't call me a racoon!"

"I'm sorry. I took it too far. I meant trash panda."

Rocket looked around in confusion, "Is that better?"

"I don't know." Drax stated.

Peter snickered, "It's worse. It's so much worse."

"You son of a-"

"Hey!" Peter shouted.

"I've had it with you!"

"No! Back up!"

"Someone followed you through the jump point. Set me free, you'll need my help." Nebula stated causing the group to look up and see the ship from before that destroyed what was left of the Sovereign's fleet.

Gamora shook her head, "I'm not a fool, Nebula."

"You are a fool if you deprive yourself a hand in combat."

Gamora narrowed her eyes, "You'll attack me the moment I let you go."

"No, I won't." Nebula said quickly, but not convincingly.

Peter huffed, "You'd think an evil supervillain would learn how to properly lie."

"I bet it's the one-inch man." Drax stated. The ship lowered itself to the ground.

A man stepped out, along with a women in green with anteni, "After all these years, I've found you two."

"And who the hell are you?" Peter asked.

"I figured my rugged good looks would make that obvious. My name is Ego… and I'm your dad, Peter, Valkyrie."


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: I have decided to upload this today instead of the 6th because I'll be traveling that day. So, Happy New Year Everyone!**

 **Chapter 3- Celestial**

It was night time now. Valkyrie and the gang were sitting around a fire, listing to Ego's tale. Valkyrie had doubts that he was their father. Peter, on the other hand, seemed to be totally entranced and believed his every word. Valkyrie didn't trust him. She wouldn't until Ego proved himself.

"I hired Yondu to pick you up when your mother passed away." Ego told Peter. "But instead of returning you, Yondu kept you. I have no clue as to why." Ego lifted a cigar to his mouth.

Peter looked at Ego, "I know why. Because I was a skinny little kid who could squeeze into places adults couldn't. It made it easier for thievin'."

"Well I've been trying to track you down ever since." Ego stated.

Valkyrie breathed out, "What about me?"

Ego turned toward Valkyrie and sighed, "We were attacked a couple clicks from Xandar. Your mother unfortunately died in the attack. Before she died she put you in an escape pod and sent you to the nearest planet. I was occupied by the attacking forces and was gravely injured. The ship's controls were damaged, and the ship ended up jumping above a certain planet called Earth. It was there, after I crash-landed and needed to repair it, then I met Peter's mother."

Peter and Valkyrie exchanged looks, "So, we're about a year apart?" Valkyrie asked.

"Not exactly a year, but around that."

"I thought Yondu was your father." Drax commented to Peter.

Peter turned towards Drax and raised his eyebrows, "What? We've been together this whole time and you thought that Yondu was my actual blood relative? You look exactly alike." Drax stated, taking a sip of soup.

"One's Blue!" Rocket exclaimed.

"No, he's not my father!" Peter exclaimed. "Yondu was the guy who abducted me, kicked the crap out of me so I could learn to fight and kept me in terror by threatening to eat me."

"Eat you?" Ego asked.

"Yeah." Peter responded.

Ego looked shocked, "That son of a bitch."

"How'd you locate us now?" Gamora asked.

"Even where I reside," Ego started, "Out past the edge of what's known, we've heard tell about the man they call Star-Lord. What say we head out there right now?" Ego stood up. "Your associates are welcome. Even that triangle-faced monkey over there. I promise the both of you, it's unlike any other place you've ever seen. And there, Peter, Valkyrie, I can explain your very special heritage. And finally, get to be the father I've always wanted to be. Excuse me. I gotta take a wiz." Ego nodded and then walked off into the woods.

Peter and Valkyrie looked at each other, "I'm not buying it." Peter stated.

"Thank Drax." Valkyrie stated. "I thought I was the only one. Peter, somethings not right. It doesn't feel right."

"Feel right?" Gamora asked.

Valkyrie sighed, "I don't know, I just… he feels wrong."

"Peter, let's go take a walk." Gamora stated, standing up.

Peter stood up and walked off with Gamora. "I am Mantis." Mantis stated to the group who was still around the fire. Then she just kept on staring at Drax.

"What are you doing?" Drax asked.

"Smiling." Mantis responded. "I hear it is the thing to do to make people like you."

Drax turned back to his soup, "Not if you do it like that."

"I was raised alone on Ego's planet." Mantis reviled, "I do not understand the intricacies of social interaction."

Rocket was cleaning himself from supper when Mantis asked, "Can I pet your puppy? It is adorable."

Valkyrie's eyes widened when Drax responded with "Yes."

Mantis leaned over to pet Rocket when he snapped at her and growled. Mantis leapt back in shock and screamed, looking shocked and scared at the same time. Drax and Rocket began to laugh.

"That is called a practical joke." Drax stated, still laughing.

Mantis then started laughing with Drax, though Valkyrie thought it sounded a bit forced, "I liked it very much!"

"I just made it up." Drax stated.

Nebula looked on in annoyance, shaking her head and Valkyrie just shrugged her shoulders in response.

* * *

"He's not a fox." Gamora responded as Valkyrie came into the room with a bag slung over her shoulder, "Soot her if she does anything suspicious."

"Mother does want her alive, Gamora." Valkyrie stated.

Gamora glanced over at Valkyrie, "I didn't say kill. Just… wound gravely.

"Okay." Rocket replied, and Valkyrie rolled her eyes.

Gamora squatted down to Baby Groot, "Hey. It'll just be a couple of days." Gamora whipped a tear from Baby Groot's face. Valkyrie smiled at the gesture. Gamora really was trying to redeem herself. "We'll be back before Rocket's finished fixing the ship."

Valkyrie crouched down next to Baby Groot after Gamora left, "Groot, it'll be fine. Rocket will keep good care of you. Can you make sure he behaves for me?"

Baby Groot nodded and gave a sad smile. "I am Groot."

Valkyrie smiled, "Good." She swallowed, "Don't worry, I'll be back." Baby Groot made a grab for her hands and grabbed onto a couple of her fingers. Valkyrie sighed, "Groot, come on. I've got to go." Valkyrie took her other hand and slid Baby Groot's tight grip off of her hand.

Groot let out a small whine as Valkyrie walked off.

* * *

"What if the Sovereign come back?" Drax asked.

"There's no way for them to know we're here." Peter stated. "Let's go."

Gamora and Valkyrie brought up the rear, "I'm uncertain about parting ways." Drax said.

"God, you're like an old woman." Peter said as they all began to walk out of the ship.

"Because I'm wise?" Drax asked.

Peter sighed, "Why do you have so much luggage?"

Rocket replied, "I don't want Groot playing with my things…. I hope that Daddy isn't as big as a dick as you, orphan boy."

Peter shook his head and took a deep breath, "What is your goal here? To get everyone to hate you? Because it's working."

Valkyrie and Peter walked side by side while Drax and Gamora followed close behind as they stepped into the egg like ship and the yellow "door" closed behind them, sealing them off.

Peter and Valkyrie watched as Mantis laid their father down and calmed him into a sleep. They sat down and watched this as Drax and Gamora were some ways away. Peter took out a folded piece of paper which had a image of a man that Valkyrie didn't recognize. She reached over and put a hand on Peter's knee.

Peter looked at her, startled, and then he gave her a small smile and looked over to Ego. Mantis was walking away by now.

"Come." Mantis said to them, "Let's leave him to rest."

* * *

They were in a circular alcove which had a white table in the middle. "Hey, can I ask a personal question?"

"No one has ever asked me a personal question." Mantis responded.

"You're antenna's. What do they do?"

Gamora walked into the room when Mantis responded with, "Their purpose?"

"Yes." Drax stated, "Quill and I have a bet."

Peter hung his head in exasperation and then glared at Drax, "Dude, you're not supposed to say that!"

"I say, if you are about to go through a doorway that is too low, your antenna will feel this, and keep you from being decapitated." Drax stated.

Valkyrie made eye contact with Gamora and both rolled their eyes.

"Right, if it's anything other than you specifically not being decapitated by a doorway, I win." Peter said.

Mantis appeared to be offended, "They are not for feeling doorways." Drax groaned, "I think they have something to do with my empathic abilities.

"What are those?" Drax asked.

"If I touch someone I can feel their feelings." Mantis replied.

Valkyrie and Peter glanced at each other. Suddenly Valkyrie didn't want Mantis touching her. Her feelings were her own.

"You read minds?" Valkyrie asked.

Mantis shook her head, which made Valkyrie calm a bit down, "No. Telepaths know thoughts. Empaths feel feelings. Emotions. May I?" Mantis extended a hand toward Valkyrie.

Valkyrie shook her head and said very definitively, crossing her arms, "No."

"I'll try." Peter said.

Mantis reached out and put her hand over Peter's right one and the tops of her antenna began to glow white light. "You feel love." Mantis stated.

"Yeah. I guess I feel a general unselfish love for just about everybody." Peter replied.

"No. Romantic sextual love." Mantis said.

Peter shook his head, "No I don't."

"For her!" Mantis pointed toward Gomora.

"No!" Peter denied. "I do not!"

Gamora pressed her lips together and Valkyrie sighed at Peter's misfortune as Drax began to laugh and point his right hand at Peter. "She just told everyone your deepest, darkest secret!"

Peter sighed, "Dude! I think you're overreacting a little bit."

"You must be so embarrassed!" Drax kept on laughing.

"Drax!" Valkyrie snapped. "That's enough."

Drax was almost bouncing up and down as he said, "Do me! Do me!"

"I have never felt so much humor!" Mantis said, beginning to laugh as much as Drax and point at Peter.

Valkyrie stood up as Peter said, "So unbelievably uncool." And left the room.

* * *

The ship landed on Ego's planet and everyone got onto a movable platform which lead the group through an amazing view of Ego's home-world. It looked perfect.

"Welcome everyone, to my world."

Peter gaped, "Wow. You have your own planet?"

"Come on. No larger than your Earth's Moon."

"Humility." Drax stated, "I like it. I too am extraordinarily humble." Drax then poked one of the bubbles which made smaller bubbles of assorted colors and he began to laugh. The moving platform eventually led them to a massive castle like structure. A bridge formed and everyone walked off the platform onto the patio-like area outside the castle.

"Your own planet and can destroy two dozen spaceships without a suit." Gamora stated, impressed, but suspicious, "What are you, exactly?"

"I'm what's called a celestial, sweetheart." Gamora, Drax, Valkyrie and Peter stopped short.

"A Celestial, like a god?" Valkyrie asked.

"Small "g" daughter." Ego replied, stopping at the base of the stairs and turning around, "At least on the day's I'm feeling as humble as Drax."

Peter, Valkyrie, Drax and Gamora exchanged looks of shock and then raced after Ego and Mantis up the steps.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4- Gamora and Valkyrie VS. Nebula**

Ego pushed open the doors to the inside of the palace. "Whoa!" Peter exclaimed, staring at the majestic architecture.

"I don't know where I came from exactly." Ego started, "The first thing I remember is flickering," Ego lead the group toward the first egg shape with the image of a brain. Valkyrie bet that it was Ego's, "Adrift in the cosmos of utterly and entirely alone. Over millions of years, I learned to control the molecules around me. I grew smarter and stronger."

The image changed from the brain to a planet, "And I continued building from there." Ego lead the group toward the next egg shape which opened up to show the image of the planet being built, "Layer by layer. The very planet you walk on now."

"Whoa." Peter stated again.

Valkyrie stared in amazement but was careful. The bad feeling that she felt by the campfire was back in full force, even worse than before. Now, it didn't even feel like a feeling. It felt as if she was getting a cold.

"But I wanted more." Ego stated. "I desired meaning, 'there must be some life out there in the universe besides just me.' I thought." Ego continued as we continued down the hall to more egg type things. "And so, I set myself the task of finding it. I created what I imagined biological life to be like, down to the most minute detail." An image of a younger version of Ego appeared in another Egg-shaped device.

"Did you make a penis?" Drax asked.

"Dude!" Peter turned around, exasperated.

"What is with you?!" Gamora asked.

"If he is a planet, how could he make a baby with your mothers? He would smush her."

"I don't need to know how my parents-"

Drax tilted his head, "Why? My father would tell the story of impregnating my mother every winter solstice."

Valkyrie's face scrunched up, "That's disgusting!"

"It was beautiful." Drax remarked, "You Earthers have hang-ups."

Ego held both his hands up in a 'priestly style,' "Yes, Drax, I do got a penis."

"Thank you!" Drax exclaimed.

"It's not half bad. I've also got pain receptors and a digestive system and all the accompanying junk. I wanted to experience what it truly meant to be human as I set out amongst the stars until I found what I sought. Life. I was not alone in the universe after all." The next egg showed an image of younger Ego and a female child with pink skin, blue dress holding a brown teddy-bear.

"When did you meat my mother?" Peter asked. "I already know you met her after Val was born. But when was that in your human timeline?"

"I met your mother, Valkyrie, almost right after I discovered that I wasn't alone. She was called Gem. We fell in love almost immediately. Nine months later, you were born. She died in the attack I mentioned back by the camp-fire on Berhert."

Valkyrie swallowed and glanced at Peter. He didn't even acknowledge her, just stared at their father. She had always imagined what it would be like to meet her father. What she would say. This was the first time she was stunned speechless. It didn't help that she had a pounding headache now.

"I met your mother, Peter, when I crashed to Earth. She helped fix me up, and helped me tinker with the ship." Ego let out a small laugh, "She had no idea what she was doing, but still helped me out, a stranger. I called her my river lily. She… she was my rock. I had just lost my wife and new born daughter in one swoop. I'll admit that I fell for her. We had a short, whorl-wind of a relationship. And from that love, Peter, you. I have searched for the two of you for so long. And when I learned of a man from Earth, who held an Infinity Stone in his hand without dying I knew you must be the son of the women I loved."

"Uh, Valkyrie held the stone." Peter got out.

Ego smiled, "But you joined hands. Anyone else would be dust. The two of you combined is what quelled that power."

"If you loved my mother, why did you leave her?" Peter asked.

* * *

Drax and Gamora were off with Mantis while Peter and Valkyrie talked with their father, Ego. They were standing outside in the gardens where they were two female statues. One was pale skin with curly blond hair, blue dress and carrying a basket of flowers. The other was pale with straight brown hair in some sort of battle dress with a sword strapped across her back.

"My mother told everyone my father was from the stars." Peter started. Valkyrie subtly rubbed her temple, which was still throbbing, but listened to her brother talk. "She had brain cancer, so everyone thought she was delusional."

"Peter." Ego started but Peter interrupted.

"Listen, I'd love to believe all of this, I really would. But you left the most wonderful women ever to die alone." Peter said, walking around Ego to face away from him.

"I didn't want to leave your mother, Peter." Ego stated, frustrated, spun around and walked toward Peter, as if trying to plead with him, "If I don't return regularly to my planet, all the light within it and this form will wither and perish."

"So why didn't you come back? Why did you send Yondu? A criminal of all people, to come and fetch me?"

"I loved your mother, Peter!" Ego exclaimed, holding onto his arms, "I couldn't stand to set foot on an Earth where she wasn't living! You can't imagine what that's like!"

Valkyrie could tell that Peter was pissed, "I know exactly what that feels like!" Peter shouted. "I had to watch her die!"

Ego paused for a minute, then, "Over the millions and millions of years of my existence, I've made many mistakes, Peter. But you're not one of them. Please give me the chance to be the father she would want me to be." Ego then turned toward Valkyrie, "And you, Valkyrie. My first born. I missed the both of you growing up."

We were all silent for a moment. Then, "There's so much that I need to teach you two about this planet and the light within. They are apart of you, Peter, Valkyrie."

"What do you mean?" Valkyrie asked. "I mean, I know I'm your daughter, but I think I would have noticed a 'light' within me." Valkyrie swallowed, still not feeling well.

"Give me your hands, children." Ego said. Hesitantly, Valkyrie held out both her hands and Peter followed suit. "Hold them like that." Ego stated, "Now, close your eyes and concentrate." Peter and Valkyrie closed their eyes, "Take your brain to the center of this planet."

Valkyrie and Peter concentrated and then both yelped as an unknown blue energy flooded their hands.

"Whoa!" Peter exclaimed.

Valkyrie breathed out, "What the hell?"

"Yes! Yes! It's okay!" Ego said as the energy in both of their hands dissipated. "Just relax and concentrate. You both can do it! Bring it back."

Valkyrie concentrated, and the blue energy came back. She glanced at Peter whose energy was back as well. Her eyes were wide. How the hell did she have this kind of power? She would have known, wouldn't she have?

"Yes, now shape it!" Ego said, "Feel that energy."

Both Valkyrie and Peter thought the same thing and shaped their energy into a ball. They stared at the energy in their hand and then at each other. Peter had tears in his eyes and Valkyrie just stared in wonder, her head still throbbing.

"You're home, children. Finally, you're home." Ego stated, smiling, as if he was victorious.

Valkyrie let her energy dissipate but Peter kept his going. "Peter." Ego stated, holding out his hands. Peter tossed the ball to Ego who caught it then shaped the energy into a tighter ball and threw it to Valkyrie who caught it in surprise.

Peter looked at Valkyrie who looked back, smiling. Valkyrie tossed the ball to Peter. Ego backed up to the middle of the circle then Valkyrie backed up to the edge of the circle in the middle to form a triangle. They began to pass the ball back and forth between the three of them, just having fun.

She had found her family and she ignored the growing headache to spend time with them.

* * *

Valkyrie had spent some time lying down, trying to get rid of her headache, nothing was working though. So, she got back up and went to go find Peter. She heard shouting along the way and ran in time to hear Peter yelled, "I finally found my family, don't you understand that?!"

Gamora responded with, "I thought you already had." Gamora turned around and stalked out of the room.

Valkyrie didn't even bother going to comfort her brother. He deserved some alone time after what he just said. Instead she raced after Gamora.

Apparently Gamora had sprinted after she had gotten outside, and it took Valkyrie some time to find her.

"Go away Val. Don't you want to spend time with your new _family_." Gamora spat the last word.

Valkyrie sighed and took off her jacket and tied it around her waist. It was getting rather hot. She sat down next to Gamora. "I know you guys didn't really want me to come… I mean, who would want an Xandarian Commander as part of their group?"

Gamora lifted her head to look at her, "Why did you come?"

Before Valkyrie could answer they heard an engine of a ship. Gamora and Valkyrie stood up and whorled around to see a ship coming straight at them. Valkyrie's eyes widened as she yelled, "RUN!" As the ship began to fire at them, Nebula's yelling voice came over the ship's speakers.

Gamora and Valkyrie sprinted the other direction to get away from the ship. They ran, and Valkyrie yelled as the ground disappeared and the ship almost crashed into them. They fell onto the ground and Gamora looked up and muttered, "Psychopath." Valkyrie just groaned in response.

The ship turned around to make another pass. Valkyrie and Gamora glanced at each other and made a break for the cave. They made it just in time and Nebula's ship made a U-turn for a third attack, heading straight for the cave they were in.

Valkyrie ran for her life and Gamora followed her as Nebula flew the ship into the cave. "She's inane!" Valkyrie yelled to Gamora.

"You didn't have to live with her!" Gamora yelled back.

Nebula flew the ship deeper and deeper into the cave, throwing up dust and eventually, there came another drop and Valkyrie let out a scream as she fell on her back. Small rock fell on top of her and she groaned in pain. She felt her side which felt sticky. Some of the shots from the ship had hit her. She felt awful and had to blink away black spots.

Gamora looked as the ship spun around, crashed and stopped. Nebula was seemingly trapped in the pilot's seat. She spotted one of the ship's guns and grabbed it, lifting it up on her shoulder. Valkyrie managed to pull herself up and gapped at her display.

She began to fire and yell as she walked closer and closer to the ship. The ship eventually fell into a cavern and exploded. Valkyrie covered her face from the heat. Gamora threw down the gun and the two of them stood on top of the ledge, watching Nebula struggle getting out of the pilot's seat.

Then Gamora jumped down and tore off a hanging piece of metal and pulled Nebula out of the burning ship. Puzzled, Valkyrie jumped down and helped Gamora and then the ship exploded, sending them flying back.

Valkyrie, Gamora and Nebula just breathed for a couple seconds, Nebula's joints popped back into place. Gamora and Nebula stared at each other then Nebula launched herself at Gamora and landed on top of her, trying to choke her.

"Are you kidding me!?" Gamora chocked out. Then she flipped Nebula over and now she was on top. Nebula pushed with her feet and threw Gamora off her, landing a couple feet away. Valkyrie stood up to help but then after one step, collapsed in pain.

Nebula grabbed Gamora's throat and squeezed, holding up a knife. Gamora gasped for breath and eventually closed her eyes. Then, after struggling to kill her, Nebula let her go and Gamora began to cough roughly.

Valkyrie was in excruciating pain. Her head hurt, and she was trying to keep conscious, watching Gamora and Nebula's fight.

"I win." Nebula spat, breathing hard, "I win. I bested you in combat."

Gamora looked up at Nebula, "No, I saved your life."

"Well, you were stupid enough to let me live."

"You let me live!"

"I don't always need you to beat me!"

"I'm not the one who just flew across the universe just because I wanted to win."

"Do not tell me what I want!" Nebula shouted.

"It's obvious!"

"You were the one who wanted to win. And I just wanted a sister!"

Valkyrie just watched the exchange with wide eyes, sweating from the pain.

Nebula looked down, "You were all I had. But you were the one who always had to win. Thanos pulled my eye from my head." Nebula looked up in hatred at Gamora, "And my brain from my skull. And my arm from my body… because of _you_."

They rested for a couple of minutes before Gamora looked to the right to see Valkyrie on the ground then stood up, staring at the mound behind her. "Oh my god."

"What?" Valkyrie got out.

Gamora shook her head and pointed. Nebula at this point had stood up as well and was staring at the same thing.

Valkyrie groaned as she got up and turned around to see a massive pile of bones.

"We need to get off their planet." Nebula stated.

At that, Valkyrie cried out in pain and grabbed her head. "Valkyrie!" Gamora cried as she ran forward and caught her as she collapsed.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5- Horrifying Discovery**

"Now, you need to readjust the way you process life." Ego continued as he and Peter rounded the corner to the main chamber. "Everything around us, including the girl, everything is temporarily." They were walking through the egg screen room. "We are forever. Me, you, and your sister."

Peter tilted his head, but kept walking, "But doesn't eternity get boring?"

"Not if you have a purpose, Peter, which is why you are here. I told you how all those years ago I had an unceasing impulse to find life. But what I did not tell you was how, when I finally did find it, It was all so… disappointing." They stopped to look at one of the eggs showing Ego standing in front of a little pink skinned girl holding a stuffed bear."

Peter looked at his father in confusion. "That," Ego continued, without caring that his son seemed confused, "And that is when I came to a profound realization." They were now standing in the lowered circle floor in the egg screening room. Ego began to pace, "My innate desire to seek out other life was not so that I could walk among that life. Peter." Ego came to a stop in front of his son.

"I have found meaning." Ego lifted his left hand and with his index figure touched Peter's forehead, sending Peter leering backwards.

His eyes showed the universe within them, constantly spinning. "Whoa!" Peter exclaimed, "Whoa!" His breath came in short gasps, "I- I see it! Eternity!"

* * *

Gamora came charging into the room with Nebula behind her carrying an unconscious Valkyrie. She stormed up to Mantis and pushed her up against the wall and lifted her up by her neck, "Who are you people?!" Gamora yelled, "What is this place?"

"Gamora!" Drax yelled, "Let her go!"

Mantis tried to breath but Gamora wouldn't let her grip go, "The bodies in the caverns. Who are they?!"

Mantis's antennas began to glow, "You are scared."

"Gamora, enough." Came Valkyrie's rough voice. Gamora dropped Mantis who coughed while Gamora spun around to see Valkyrie standing up and leaning heavily on Nebula who looked super uncomfortable at the interaction. Gamora backed away from Mantis.

* * *

"I call it, the Expansion." Ego continued. Planets from all over the galaxy began to pop up in simulations across the ceiling of the room. Each had a shining blue light in the center. "It is my purpose, and now it is yours as well."

Peter stared up at the ceiling with his mouth open, his eyes still held the universe within them. "It's beautiful."

"Over thousands of years," Ego continued, seemingly not even concerned with the state his son was in, "I implanted thousands of extensions of myself on thousands of worlds." The egg that they were standing in front of showed a picture of Ego taking a blue light out of his right shoulder and into the ground of a planet. The egg closed and reopened again to show the light trickling down to the center of the planet. "I need to fulfill life's one true purpose."

The egg closed and reopened again, disappearing and in it's place, a planet showed the light encompassing itself, "To grow and spread, covering all that exists. All the planets around the two showed the same process. "Until everything is me!"

* * *

"What did she do to me?" Gamora gasped, holding her hand and flexing her fingers in and out.

Drax came up to her, "She already told me everything."

Valkyrie stumbled her footing and grabbed onto Nebula who winced at the contact.

"I only had one problem. A single celestial doesn't have enough power for such an enterprise. But two celestials…." Ego held up two fingers on his right hand, "Well, now that just might do."

Peter's head turned toward Ego.

Mantis straightened up, "The bodies… are his children."

Valkyrie gaped at Mantis in shock, horrified.

* * *

"Out of all my labors, the most beguiling was attempting to graft my DNA with that of another species." Another egg showed next to them, Ego kissing multiple women of different races. The egg closed and reopened to show more couples kissing Ego, overcrowding the open spot in the egg. "I hoped the result of such a coupling would be enough to power-" The egg closed and opened again to show more women kissing Ego. "-the Expansion."

"I had Yondu deliver some of them to me. It broke the Revenger code, but I compensated him generously and to ease his conscious, I said I'd never hurt them. And that was true. They never felt a thing. But after one after the other they failed me. Not one of them carried the Celestial genes." Ego sighed. "Until Valkyrie, of course. But then her bitch of a mother sent her away from me. For that she was punished greatly."

"Finally, you came, Peter. Out of all my spawn, I tried to find Valkyrie, but she was hidden so I considered her a failure, only you carried the connection to the light."

* * *

"We need to find Peter now." Valkyrie said, breathless. She had no idea what was wrong with her, but it was bad. And her brother was with Ego, in danger. "And get off this damn planet."

"Ego will have won him to his side by now." Mantis stated. "He has a way with-"

Valkyrie cut her off, snarling, "Don't you dare say that about my brother! He would never side with that monster!"

"Can't we just go?" Nebula stated unemotionally.

"No! He's my brother, I'm not leaving him!" Valkyrie yelled at Nebula then yelled again, this time in pain, clutching hear head., "Ah!"

"Valkyrie!" Gamora responded, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Ah… how the hell should I know?!"

"All any of you do is yell at each other." Nebula stated, "You are not friends."

Drax stepped forward, "You're right." Valkyrie stared at Drax in shock until he said, "We're family." Then Val gave a small, but pained smile, "We leave no one behind." Then he stared at Nebula, "Except maybe you."

Valkyrie snorted while Nebula shook here head and muttered, "Oh my god."

* * *

"For the first time in my existence," Ego declared, "I am truly not alone!" Ego threw his arms up in the air in victory. Peter's head dropped and the universe in his eyes dimmed. Ego noticed, "What is it son?"

"My friends?" Peter whispered.

Ego sighed, "You see, that's the mortal in you, Peter."

"Yes."

"We are beyond such things."

"Yes."

Ego turned his back and began speaking again, "Now-"

Peter interrupted, "But my mother?" Ego turned around to face Peter. "You said you loved my mother. What about my sister?"

"And that I did. My river lily who knew all the words to every song that came over the radio. I returned to Earth to see her three times. And I knew if I returned a fourth, well, I'd never leave. The Expansion… the reason for my very existence, would be over. So, I did what I had to do. But it broke my heart to put that tumor in her head. I could see the same thing that happened to me, happening to you with your sister. A brotherly love. But that was too dangerous. Too much of an attachment. So, I did the same to Valkyrie."

The universe in Peter's eyes quickly vanished and his eyes returned to normal. "What?" Peter growled softly.


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, sorry about the small break. College work really picked up the last couple of months. Since I will be out of the country for the next update and with spotty internet access, I will be updating twice today to make up for it. Oh, and I saw Infinity War on the 27th… May 3rd, 2019 come sooner!

 **Chapter 6- The Ego**

"Now, alright, I know that sounds bad." Ego expressed, not sounding sorry at all, while holding his hands up in a 'stop' motion.

Peter took out his two guns and shot at his father one after the other for at least a minute. Holes in Ego's form showed but the blue skeleton was still there at the end of it. "Phew." Ego straightened up, "Who in the hell do you think you are?"

"You killed my MOTHER! And you are doing the SAME THING to my SISTER!" Peter yelled angrily at his father…. No. He wasn't his father. He was just a sad old… powerful, but sad old man.

"Peter." Ego pleaded, "I tried so hard to find the form that best suited you." Ego's form changed into the picture that Peter was looking at earlier in Ego's ship. "-and this is the thanks I get?!" Ego changed back into the form Peter first met him in. "You really need to grow up." Ego growled at him.

Ego's hand lifted, and a trail of bright light burst from the floor and like a gigantic stinger, pierced through Peter's back. Peter gasped in pain. "I wanted to do this together. But I suppose you'll have to learn by spending the next thousand years as a battery!"

* * *

At the same moment that the burst of blue energy came from the floor, the pain in Valkyrie's head increased tenfold, "Aaargh!" She cried out in pain, clutching the sides of her head and sinking toward the ground.

"Valkyrie!" Drax, Gamora, and Mantis cried out.

Gamora crouched down next to Valkyrie and put a hand on her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Valkyrie bit her lip in pain so hard that blood dripped down her chin as she spoke in breaths, "It feels… like I'm … being attacked."

"Attacked?" Drax asked, "There is no one here."

"It could be mind." Mantis alleged, her demeanor grim, "Ego was always good with the mind."

"But that means… Peter!" Valkyrie gasped. She tried to stand up but fell against Drax, not even making it half way up. Drax steadied her by gripping her shoulders.

Gamora looked at her, "Valkyrie, listen to me. You're in no condition to fight."

"He's my brother, Gamora." Valkyrie insisted, then she winced as the pain increased again. "I can't... just leave him."

Suddenly Gamora's communicator beeps three times and she took it out of her pocket and said, "Finally, Rocket?"

Rockets voice emitted out of the communicator, "Keep that transmitter nearby, so I can find you. We're in an old piece of construction equipment that Yandu once used to slice open the bank of A'askaveria."

"Ego's unhinged." Gamora replied.

"I know. Get ready." Communications cut out but the transmitter was still on so Rocket could find them.

"Let me fight." Valkyrie spoke up, having managed to get to a standing position, but having to lean on Drax for support.

Gamora closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them again, "Fine. Let's go." The group moved out, Drax having to support Valkyrie on the way.

* * *

Back in the circular room, Ego walked menacingly up to Peter and grabbed his walkman from his belt. "No." Peter moaned, his voice hoarse.

Ego pressed play on the walkman. It came out staticy then clearer, "...you're a fine girl…." began to play.

"My life, my love, my lady is the sea. Peter. This is the sea." Then he crushed the walkman until it stopped playing the music. Peter could only groan in response. Ego backed up, spreading his arms wide open as the blue energy grew intensity and Peter yelled out in pain.

Suddenly the light expanded and seemed to explode from the room.

* * *

Gamora, Valkyrie, Nebula, Mantis and Drax were close to the building when a bright blue light pulsed out of it, so bright that they skidded to a halt, covering their eyes with their arms.

The pain had increased again for Valkyrie but she was able to keep herself upright, though everything was beginning to become dizzy and fuzzy.

They ran at full speed to the building and Drax kicked down the door to see Peter up in the air with the blue energy pierced through him and the sam blue energy surrounding Ego.

Ego, startled, looked at the group then a rumbling was heard as the construction equipment that Rocket spoke of burst through the window. "Hey there, jackasses!" Came Yando's greeting as he slammed his ship into Ego.

The blue light disappeared and Peter fell to the floor. Valkyrie, still in pain, stumbled over to him. "Peter." Valkyrie shook his shoulder.

Gamora, Nebula, Drax and Mantis raced to the ship which had opened the door to reveal Baby Groot waving at them. They began to climb on.

"Val." Peter groaned out, "You- you're okay."

"Depends on what you mean by okay." Valkyrie responded with and helped Peter stand up as Gamora ran over to help.

From the spaceship Valkyrie heard Drax say, "Out of the way, dumber, smaller Groot."

Gamora took Peter's other side. "I told you something didn't feel right." She remarked.

"I told you so. Just what I need to hear right now."

"Well, I came back, didn't I?" Gamora responded.

Part of the ceiling fell behind them as the helped Peter to the ship. "Because there's an unspoken thing."

"There is no unspoken thing."

"What are you doing!?" Drax yelled at Rocket from inside the ship. "You could have killed us all!"

"Uh, thank you Rocket!" Rocket turned his chair around.

"We had it under control." Drax stated.

Mantis was pacing behind them, "We did not. That was only an extension of his true self. He will be back soon." Mantis concluded as Gamora helped Valkyrie and Peter onto the ship.

"What's smurfette doing here?" Peter glared at Nebula.

"Whatever I need to do to get a damn ride home."

"She tried to murder me!" Rocket pointed out.

"I saved you, you stupid fox." Nebula snapped.

"He's not a fox." Gamora hissed at Nebula.

Baby Groot stepped forward and stated, "I am Groot."

"I am not a raboon either." Rocket snapped.

"I am Groot."

"Racoon. Whatever."

Suddenly Four pillars of blue energy burst from the ground and Valkyrie let out a small moan of pain and leaned on Peter for support.

"Val!" Peter grabbed her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"My... my head's killing me." Valkyrie got out.

"Ego." Peter's voice grew dark. "He said…" Peter swallowed, "That he put a tumor in you. Same with my mother."

Valkyrie's eyes widened. "So… how do we…." Valkyrie trailed off, biting the inside of her cheek.

Peter was silent, looking at Val, with tears in his eyes, "I don't know."


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7- The Fight**

"Perhaps if we kill Ego, the tumor will go away." Drax stated. "How do we kill a celestial?"

Valkyrie starred in surprise at Drax. "I didn't even think of that Drax."

"There's a center to him." Peter stated. "His brain, his soul, whatever it is… some sort of protective shell."

Mantis looked around, panicked, as she answered, "It's in the caverns, below the surface."

Suddenly the blue lights slammed and encased the ship. Peter climbed up to the cockpit, "Yandu?"

Yandu responded with taking off but the energy grabbed hold of the ship and slammed it down to the ground. Valkyrie collapsed onto the floor at the impact while the others stumbled around and held onto the ship.

Valkyrie painfully army crawled her way to the ladder and up to the cockpit were Peter had taken the co-pilot seat next to Yandu. She made her way, sumbling as her world became dizzy and grabbed hold of Peter's chair for support.

Peter pressed some of the ships buttons before Yandu said, "Thrusters are out!"

"Guess I should be glad I was a skinny kid." Peter said, opening a compartment beneath the control panel to reveal a glowing yellow source. "Otherwise you'd have delivered me to this maniac."

Yandu turned to Peter, "You still reckon that's the reason I kept you around, you idiot?"

"That's what you told me, you old dufus." Peter snapped back, fixing some of the wires.

"Well, once I figured out what happened to them other kids I wasn't just going to hand you over."

"You said you were going to eat me."

"That was being funny!"

"Not to me!" Peter responded with a look of 'what the hell?'

"You people have issues." Rocket's voice floated up from below.

Peter stared at Rocket, "Well, of course I have issues." Peter looked up, startled at the yelling from outside the ship and saw a large version of ego, blue energy repairing his body. "That's my freakin father!" The ship beeped. "Thrusters are back up!" Peter yelled.

Peter drove the ship right threw the gigantic energy version of ego and it disappeared. The ship 'flew' out of the building and over the cliff. Then started to fall. Valkyrie slammed into Peter's chair with an loud groan. She clutched her head, "Peter." Her voice was soft, but forceful which got his attention and he turned around in concern, "He's angry. Very angry... Ahhh!"

"Just hold on." Peter pleaded. "Val, Please."

Yandu interrupted what Valkyrie was going to respond with to state, "We should be going up!"

"We can't!" Peter reminded Yandu, "Ego wants to eradicate the universe as we know it. He also put a tumor in my _sister_! The only chance she, and the universe, has is to _kill him_. Rocket!" The cracked canyon grew closer and closer.

"Got it!" Rocket yelled up to them. Red lasers cut into the rocks and the ship entered a tunnel, taking them closer to the center of the planet.

"Waho!" Peter yelled as they dove deeper, hitting into some of the rocks that were in their way.

Rocket worked the lasers so the ship didn't get that much damaged, "So, we're saving the galaxy again?" Rocket asked the team.

"And Valkyrie." Peter stated.

Valkyrie heard Rocket sigh and responded with, "Including Valkyrie."

"I guess so."

Valkyrie let out an indignant, but playful, "Hey!" and lightly hit Peter on the shoulder.

"Ow!" Peter overplayed the smack, rubbing his shoulder. "That hurt."

"Awesome! We're really going to be able to jack-up our prices if we're two time galaxy savers." Rocket stated.

"I seriously can't believe that's where you're mind goes. I mean, Val's over here dying!"

"It was just a random thought, man! I thought we were friends. Of course I care about the planets, and the buildings and all the animals on the planets." Rocket droned on.

"And the people." Peter coxed.

"Meh."

"Hey! Rocket!" Valkyrie protested.

"The crabby puppy is so cute." Mantis interjected, "He makes me want to die!"

"So, tell me why Ego wants you here?"

"He needs my genetic connection to the light to help destroy the universe. He tried to teach me to control the power. He tried Val as well, but she didn't want to do it."

"Good thing to." Valkyrie reckoned.

"So, could you?" Yandu asked.

"A little. I made a ball." Peter admitted.

Yandu looked at Peter like he was crazy. "A ball?"

"I thought as hard as I could. It was all that I could come up with."

"You thought? You think when I make this arrow fly I use my head?" The ship was squeezed and finally it burst through rocks and came out in the center of the planet. Blue light coming from around the rocks which stretched from a large circle.

"There." Valkyrie heard Mantis say from below, "That's Ego's core."

"That ore is thick, Rocket." Gamora stated.

"I got it covered."

"We must hurry." Mantis reminded the group. "It will not take Ego long to find us."

"We drill into the center and we kill him!" Peter commanded.

Rocket fiddled with a couple of buttons and then a large red lazor came out of the ship and started to drill into the core. "Keep her steady!" As soon as the lazor fired into the core, Valkyrie cried out in pain, collapsing to the grated floor of the ship.

"Val!" Peter yelled and started to get out of the seat to go to her.

Everything hurt like hell to Valkyrie but she got out, "Don't stop!"

"Captain?" Came a call from the comm.

"What is it Kraglin?"

"Heeey. Remember that Ayesha chick?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Uh…."

Yandu looked out the right window and saw the army of space ships coming at them. "Oh, hell." Peter yanked the ship away from the core and the drilling stopped, giving relief to the pain Valkyrie felt and she was able to pull herself upright again, but it wasn't enough to stop her being dizzy.

The spacecraft chased after them, firing as they went.

The ship tilted sideways and Valkyrie, not in a seatbelt, dropped against the windows with a painful landing.

"Why aren't you firing the lazors!" Valkyrie yelled down to Rocket.

"They blew out the generator!" Rocket responded. "I think I packed a small detonator."

"A detonator is worthless without explosives!" Nebula pointed out.

"Well, we got these." Rocket said as Peter helped Valkyrie down the steps to see Rocket holding the batteries from the Sovereign.

"Is that thing strong enough to kill Ego?" Val asked.

"If it is," Rocket said as he rapped cords around a device, "It'll cause a chain reaction throughout his entire nervous system."

"Meaning what?" Peter shouted.

"The entire planet will explode." Rocket explained. "We'll have to get out of here fast. I rigged a timer."

"I'm coming with you." Valkyrie stated.

Peter shook his head, "No. Stay here with Yandu.

"But-"

"Val. You're dying."

Valkyrie grimace, "Even more reason to fight."

Peter pressed his lips together, "Fine. Let's go." They raced out of the hole on the side of the ship, jumping out of the ship. Their thrusters on their boots helped guide them closer to the core, dodging gun fire from the Sovereign's fighters. They made it to a hole and rolled onto the ground, coming to a stop.

Peter helped Valkyrie into a standing position while Rocket turned on a flashlight. "The metal's too thick. For the bomb to work, we'd actually need to place it on Ego's core. And our fat buts ain't gonna fit through those tiny holes."

"Well…." Peter said, looking down. Valkyrie followed his eyesight to see that Baby Groot had followed them and was playing with a leaf.

Rocket looked up, blinking, "That's a terrible idea."

"Which is the only kind of idea we have left."

Rocket let out a long groan and picked up Baby Groot and placed him on his shoulder and walked to the nearest hole. "Unbelievable." Then mockingly in a high pitch voice, "Rocket do this. Rocket do that." Rocket jumped through the whole.

Peter looked to Valkyrie. "Val, you're pale. Are you sure I can't talk you out of fighting?"

Valkyrie shook her head and then regretted it as a wave of dizziness swept over her. 'Okay, so no sharp movements.' "Not a chance." She responded. "I will not die sitting out of a battle."

Peter grabbed the sides of her shoulders, "You're not gonna die. I won't let you."

Valkyrie smiled a watery smile, "Peter. Don't make promises you can't keep. I won't go down without a fight. Together?"

Peter gave a tight smile, "Together." They hugged then Valkyrie drew her two guns along with Peter. "Let's do this." They lept out of the hole and into the battle, firing at the Sovereign's ships and dodging the lazors.

"Alright. First you flick this switch, then this switch. That activates it." Rocket's voice carried outside too were Valkyrie and Peter were fighting.

Breathless, Valkyrie commented to Peter, "Nothing good can come out of teaching Baby Groot to blow something up."

"It's the only choice we have." Peter corrected himself, " _You_ have to survive this."

"That activates it. Then you push this button." Rocket said slowly so Baby Groot could understand, "Which will give you five minutes to get out of there. Now, whatever you do, don't push this button because that will set off the bomb immediately and we'll all be dead. Now, repeat back what I just said."

"I am Groot."

"Uh-hu."

"I am Groot."

"That's right."

"I am Groot."

"No!" Rocket yelled, "That's the button that will kill everyone."

"Try again."

"I am Groot."

"Mm-hmmm."

"I am Groot."

"Uh-huh."

"I am Groot."

They heard Rocket's frustrated "No!" Coming from inside the core. "That's exactly what you just said! How is that even possible?!" Which button is the button to push? Point to it."

"NO!"

"Hey!" Peter called through a series of cracks where they could see Rocket kneeling in front of the bomb and Baby Groot. "You're making him nervous!"

Rocket responded with, "Shut up and get me some tape! Does anyone have any tape out there? I want to put some tape over the death button."

"I don't have any tape. Let me check." Peter yelled back and flew over to were Valkyrie was keeping the Sovereign off of Peter while he was talking to Rocket. "Val! Have any tape?"

"Tape? No." Valkyrie said, destroying another ship.

"Darn it. Yo! Yandu, do you have any- ah!" A ship bumped into Peter as he flew around asking for tape, "Do you have any tape! Gamora? Do you have any tape?

"What?!" Gamora yelled back.

" Tape! Ah, nevermind. Ow! Drax! Do you have any tape?"

"Will Scotch Tape work?" Drax asked.

"Yes! Scotch Tape would work!"

"I don't have any Scotch Tape."

Frustrated Peter yelled, "Then why did you ask me if Scotch Tape would work if you don't have any?" Peter flew back to the hole were he could talk to Rocket and Valkyrie watched his back, fighting becoming harder and harder as the pain increased. "Nobody has any tape!" Peter reported.

"Not a _single_ person has tape?" Rocket yelled back.

"Nope!"

"Did you ask Nebula?"

Peter looked around and lied, "Yes!"

"Are you sure?" Rocket asked in a tone that said he didn't believe him.

"I asked Yandu and she was sitting right next to him."

"I knew you were lying!"

"You have priceless batteries and an atomic bomb in your bag!" Peter responded with, "If anybody is gonna have tape, it's you!"

"That's exactly my point! _I_ have to do everything!

" _You_ are wasting a lot of time here!" Peter shot back.

Then Valkyrie heard a loud "Weeeee!" from Baby Groot which grew softer and softer as it continued. "Well, shit. That's not good." Valkyrie stated.

Rocket sighed in exasperation, "We're all going to die."


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hey everybody, sorry for not posting this yesterday. I was supper busy.

* * *

 **Chapter 8- Sibling Unity**

"Come on." Peter told Valkyrie. "We have to get back to Yandu." They flew back to the ship and barely made it, flying into it and rolling on the floor as they made it into the ship. Nebula was trying to fix the generator.

Valkyrie groaned as she pushed herself up into a kneeling position, out of breath, "Peter." She breathed out and Peter immediately rushed over at the tone.

"What?"

"It's- I'm getting tired." Valkyrie mumbled, "I feel it. It's spreading."

Peter shook his head stubbornly, "No. No. You are NOT dying on me."

Valkyrie grabbed Peter's hands, "Peter. You are _not_ responsible. You hear me?" Movement over Peter's shoulder caught her eye. Her eyes widened, "We're surrounded." Peter turned around and saw that it was the truth. They were surrounded. The firing suddenly stopped all at once.

"Guardians." It was High Priestess Ayesha, "Perhaps it would provide you solace that you're deaths are not without purpose. They will serve as a warning to all of those tempted with betraying us. Don't screw with the Sovereign."

The ships open fired. Peter grabbed onto Valkyrie as they were both knocked over by the blasts.

"This is gonna hurt." Yandu commented from up above in the cockpit.

"Promises, promises." Nebula stated.

"Humm." Yandu murmured and pressed a couple of buttons. Nebula screamed as she was used as a power source to charge and fire out lazors from the ship, destroying all of the ships.

A broken fiery piece of a Sovereign ship came crashing into the ship as Valkyrie and Peter looked up to survey the damage. Nebula's screams could still be heard from the cockpit area. The fiery piece of Sovering ship leaks fuel into a broken part of the ship.

Peter noticed it and yelled, "We're going to blow!" Peter grabbed a firm hold of Valkyrie and shielded her as the ship exploded.

Gamora screamed "NO!" From the surface of the center core."

Nebula was first to land. And then after a few seconds, Peter, Valkyrie and Yandu finally cleared the black smoak, slowly lowering themselves to the grown.

Peter looked up to see that Yandu had used his red arrow like an umbrella. Peter laughed and stated, "You look like Mary Poppins."

"Is he cool?"

Peter responded with a slight nod and a, "Hell yeah, he's cool."

"I'm Mary Poppins ya'll!" Yandu declared as they landed on the core next to Nebula. Explosions were going off all around them.

Then Mantis was knocked out by a flying piece of Sovereign ship. Second after Drax yelled, "Mantis, look out!" From her hand light pulled back out in a loud screeching sound and pulled through the entire place. Drax knelt down to pick Mantis up, "She's just unconscious."

"How long till the bomb goes off?" Peter stumbled over to Rocket.

"In the unlikely event that Groot doesn't kill us all… about six minutes." Rocket responded.

A loud crack sounded and daylight filtered into the space. "Kraglin," Yandu commend him, "We need the quadrant for an extraction. T-minus five minutes."

"Aye Captain." Kraglin answered.

"Somebody's got to be uptop when Kraglin arrives." Peter stated, "Drax, take Mantis." Peter took off his jetpack and placed it onto Drax.

Drax yelled, "Ah! My nipples!" As he took off for the surface, carrying Mantis with him.

The core began to crack and they all stumbled around. Then a gigantic portions cracked off and Gamora fell off the core screaming. "Gamora!" Peter yelled, looking at her as she fell, unable to help.

Rocket took off the core with his jetpack. Blue energy lines shot up out of it, cracking the core even more. A blue face appeared as the tentacle-like lines flew all over the place. "Peter!" Ego called out.

Valkyrie and Peter looked at each other then ran at Ego, firing their guns at him.

"Come now Peter I know this isn't what you want." They ducked the blue tentacles each time it swung over their heads. "What kind of father would I be to let you make this choice? Soon Peter, we will be all there is! So! Stop pissing me off!"

A large blue energy tentacle grew out of the core and closer and closer to Peter. He fired his guns at it, jumped and ducked other lines and finally was knocked backward and his facemask came off as he rolled to a stop close to the edge. Blood trickled down Peter's face.

Rocks burst apart and a humanoid energy being that must be Egos walked forward toward them. Then it grew a skeleton and then filled itself with blood. Valkyrie was sure, if she survived, this would be apart of her nightmares.

Peter and Valkyrie looked to the right as a blue energy beam impaled and forced Yandu into the ground and broke his arrow. He screamed as the energy corased through him. Peter and Valkyrie looked to the left to find the energy tentacles crushing Rocket who was also yelling in agony as he fired his gun, not hitting any of the beams.

"I told you." Ego proclaimed, walking forward with his arms up, "I don't want to do this alone."

Suddenly Valkyrie's head felt like it was going to explode and she cried out, falling to the ground. This pain that she felt now eclipsed everything else. Her vision began to show black spots as she fought to keep conscious.

Valkyrie screamed as the blue light came from behind Peter and stabbed him through the back, lifting him up into the air. Peter yelling in pain.

"You cannot deny the purpose the universe has bestowed upon you!" Ego pointed at Peter and three other blue energys stabbed through Peter, bringing him to a kneeling position on the ground of the core. Bright light pulsed through the core.

"It doesn't need to be like this Peter. Why are you destroying our chance? Stop pretending what you aren't what you are. One in billions. Trillions. Even more. What greater meaning can life possibly have to offer?" Ego was now in his full human form.

"I don't use my head to fly my arrow boy!" Yandu yelled, "I use my heart!" Yandu was silenced by the rocks piling over him.

"Peter!" Valkyrie hoarsely called out and Peter turned his attention to her, Valkyrie was slowly army crawling her way over, but going super slow, her energy gone, "You _can_ do this!" Her vision grew dark, "I love you!" Valkyrie's head slowly rested on the ground core.

She heard Peter scream out a terrified, "NO! Valkyrie!"

Then Darkness.

* * *

Valkyrie woke up to the planet crumbling around her. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw both Ego and Peter on the ground. Peter punched Ego a couple of times. She had no idea how she was still alive, but looking at the crumbling planet around her, she guessed that Peter had something to do with Ego being weaker.

She managed to get to a standing position. Everything hurt but she could feel that Ego was weakened.

"No! We need to stop it!" Ego yelled desperately. Valkyrie knew he was talking about the bomb that was going to explode. Peter grabbed a hold of Ego and threw him to the ground.

"Peter!" Valkyrie yelled, staggering over to help.

Peter's eyes widened at her voice and put his arm out in a 'stop' motion, "No! Stay back!" It was his forceful tone that made Valkyrie halt. He had never spoken to her like that. It was a combination of panic and fear.

Ego grabbed Peter's shirt, "Stop! Listen to me! You are a GOD. If you kill me, you'll be just like everybody else."

"What's so wrong with that?" Peter asked harshly.

"No!"

The core above them exploded. Ego slowly evaporated into stone dust. Peter looked down at his hands and saw the blue energy pulse above them then evaporate. He had to balance himself as Valkyrie ran over and slammed into him and gave him a hug. "How are you alive?" Peter asked, his voice hoarse.

Valkyrie shrugged. "I'm guessing him being damaged slowed it down. Now that he's dead, well. I'm pain free."

Peter's chin wavered, "I'm glad you're not dying anymore." then a few seconds passed with explosions above. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

"It's okay."

They both closed their eyes and hugged, expecting to be torn apart any minute until a force knocked into them and lifted them up off the ground. Valkyrie and Peter opened their eyes to see that Yandu had picked them both up and was flying them out of there.

They exited the interior of the planet and came out into the open air and clear sky, "He may have been you're father boy, but he wasn't your Daddy. I'm sorry that I didn't do none of it right. I'm damn lucky you're my boy." Yandu placed a bubble field on Peter's chest and activated Valkyrie's helmet.

"What?"

They burst through the atmosphere. Peter and Valkyrie glanced behind them to see that the planet imploded onto itself. "Yandu what are you doing? You can't. Yandu!" Peter yelled. Valkyrie stayed quiet through the entire conversation, tears welling up, understanding the sacrifice that Yandu was making.

Yandu's jetpack failed and Peter croaked out, "No. No!" Peter tried to get at the device that was keeping them both alive, trying to transfer it back to Yandu.

"Peter, stop!" Valkyrie pleaded.

Peter didn't listen and kept on trying. "No! No!" Yandu reached out with both hands to grab Peter's face and patted him on the head. Then his skin crusted over because of the vacuum of space and his eyes went white. "NO!" Peter screamed, sobbing. "No. No. No. No!"

Valkyrie, crying as well put an arm around Peter's waist and hugged him as he cried, waiting for the others to rescue them.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey, sorry for the late upload. I've been super busy this summer.**

 **Chapter 9- A Ravager Funeral**

Eventually the other picked them up. Peter was quiet the entire time, not even talking to say that Yandu was dead. Some time passed and they began to prepare his body for a funeral.

Rocket lit the candles while Peter and Gamora put some of Yandu's treasures next to him on the table. They finished by covering his eyes with a piece of cloth.

Peter stood at Yandu's head. Gamora stood to his left, Mantis to the left of her, Kraglin stood at the end of the table. Rocket stood at Kraglin's left and Drax stood next to him. Baby Groot stood next to Rocket. Valkyrie stood to the right, but a bit behind Peter. Nebula stood back in the corner, arms crossed, watching this take place.

"I told Gamora how when I was a kid, I used to pretend that David Hasselhoff was my dad." At Drax and Rockets confused look at each other Peter clarified, "He's a singer and actor from Earth, really famous guy." Drax nodded. "Earlier it struck me. Yandu didn't have a talking car, but he did have a flying arrow. He didn't have the beautiful voice of an angle but he did have the whistle of one. Both Yandu and David Hasselhoff went on kick-ass adventures and hooked up with hot women and fought robots."

"I guess David Hasselhoff did end up kinda being my dad after all. Only it was you, Yandu. I had a pretty cool dad." Peter took a sharp breath, trying to hold back the sobs. Though he wasn't successful as a tear dripped down his cheek. "What I'm trying to say here is that sometimes that thing your searching for your whole life… it's right there by your side all along. You don't even know it."

Valkyrie heard Nebula walk off. Gamora stared at her retreating figure and then practically ran out after her. Valkyrie took Gamora's place and grabbed Peter's hand. "I am Groot." Baby Groot stated and Valkyrie smiled and sniffed.

"He did call you twig." Rocket admitted.

The table rolled slowly forward into the tube with rainbow fire. Rocket picked up Groot and together with Drax they moved away. Peter turned around and began to walk out until Kraglin called out, "Pete."

Peter stopped. "Captain found this in a junker's shop. Said you'd come back to the fold someday." Kraglin walked up to Peter holding a small black device with headphones wrapped around it. "It's called a Zune. It's what everyone's listening to on Earth right nowadays. It's got three hundred songs on it."

"Three… three hundred songs?" Peter stuttered with an amazed look on his face.

Kraglin just nodded his head yes, choked up and turned around to begin walking away until Peter said, "Wait." Kraglin stopped and turned around to look back at Peter. He reached down into a side pants pocket and took out Yandu's arrow and held it out to Kraglin. Kraglin took it with a stunned look, "Rocket grabbed the pieces, and reassembled them. I think Yandu would want you to have it."

Kraglin looked down at the arrow, his whole body struggling to keep back the sobs and choked out, "Thanks. Captain."

Peter just gave a smirk in response.

* * *

Peter and Valkyrie sat next to each other on a bed in the ship. One earphone plugged into Peter's left ear and the other into Valkyrie's right ear.

Peter clicked on an album that read _Tea for the Tillerman_ and the song was called _Father and Son_ by someone called Cat Stevens. Valkyrie heard rustling and saw that Baby Groot had joined them and was walking toward them slowly on the bed.

Peter pressed play and a guitar solo began the song. Baby Groot pulled himself up on Peter's leg and Peter moved his arm to let him up. Baby Groot reached for an earbud and Peter was about to give him his but Valkyrie stopped him and gave the one she was sharing to Baby Groot.

 _It's not time to make a change_

 _Just relax, take it easy_

 _You're still young, that's your fault_

 _There's so much you have to know._

 _Find a girl, settle down_

 _If you want you can marry_

 _Look at me, I am old, but happy_

 _I was once like you are now_

 _And I know that it's not easy_

 _To become, When you found something going on.-_

[Excerpt from _Father and Son_ in the Album _Tea for the Tillerman_ by Cat Stevens]

Baby Groot pointed to the window and both Peter and Valkyrie looked out to see that the Ravager fleet had come after all. Valkyrie and Peter looked at each other, Peter scooped up Baby Groot, put him on his shoulder and pocketed the Zume. Together they raced for the cockpit.

* * *

"They came." Rocket got out, sounding surprised.

Drax stood up and they all covered at the window at the front of the ship, watching the ships pull in, "What is it?" Drax asked quietly.

"I sent word to Yandu's old Ravager buddies, and told them what he did."

Peter spoke up, "It's a Ravager funeral." Baby Groot lept from Peter's shoulder to Gamora's and she took him with both hands and held him close. Valkyrie grabbed Peter's hand as the firework display began. Hundreds of ships had shown up out of respect.

"He didn't chase them away." Rocket stated.

Peter walked up next to Rocket, taking Valkyrie with him, both of them unwilling to let go of each other, "No."

"Even though he yelled at them." Rocket said. "And was always mean." Suddenly Valkyrie had a feeling that he wasn't just speaking about Yandu, especially when he ended with, "And he stole batteries that he didn't need."

Peter glanced at Valkyrie and then looked down at Rocket, "Of course not."

Baby Groot reached for Drax who took him in his hands, which almost covered Baby Groot completely. Baby Groot yawned and rested his head on Drax's left shoulder and went to sleep. Valkyrie smiled at the cute sight of Drax petting Baby Groot's back and swayed a little to encourage Baby Groot to go to sleep.

Gamora stared at Peter until he noticed and turned his head to ask, "What?"

"It's just… some unspoken thing."

Peter smiled and nodded. Valkyrie let go of Peter's hand so that Gamora could lean into Peter and Peter could put his arms around her. Valkyrie smiled and backed away slowly from the group, feeling a bit out of place.

"It's beautiful." Mantis stated.

"It is." Drax replied. "And so are you." Drax was looking directly at the back of Mantis when he stated that. Then after a bit said, "On the inside."

Valkyrie covered her snort with a cough.

Valkyrie stayed in the room long enough to see the trail turn into an arrow and then she escaped the room. She had family to call.


	11. Epilogue

**Chapter 10- Epilogue / After Credits**

On the ship, Kraglin was trying to get the hang of the flying arrow that once was Yandu's.

One whistle. It crashed into the walls.

Another whistle. Another crash.

Third whistle…. And then a scream emitted from Drax.

Kraglin stood perfectly still for a couple seconds as Drax screamed in pain and then he made a break for it.

* * *

 **Another Spaceship**

On a completely different ship, Tulk paced in front of a group of individuals.

"You know it's a shame, that it took the tragedy of losing Yandu to bring us all together again." Tulk stated, "But I think he'd be proud that we are back as a team."

"I'm in."

"Done."

"Dope."

"I miss you guys so much."

"Hell yes."

Two thumbs up for the guy in red.

Tulk gave an evil grin, "What's say we steal some shit."

* * *

 **In Valkyrie's Room**

"So you're father was a celestial?" Irani Rael asked in shock over the video call. Silo and Landon sat around the screen to talk to her.

"Yup."

"And you guys killed him?" Landon asked, a skeptical look on his face.

Valkyrie snorted, "Hey! It was hard. We almost died. Multiple times." She said, leaving out the fact about Ego putting a tumor in her. That would scar them for life.

"Uh-huh." Her Silo Rael stated, clearly not believing her. "And what's this about a tumor?"

Valkyrie saw red. "PETER!" She screamed.

* * *

 **The Sovereign**

"High Priestess. The council is waiting." An attendant of the Sovereign disturbed the High Priestess's thinking.

"They are perturbed I've wasted our resources."

The attendant breathed out but knew better than to speak.

"When they see what I have created here their wrath will dissipate." The High Priestess spoke.

The attendant turned toward a machine, "It's a new type of birthing pod, Ma'am?"

"That, my child, is the next step in our evolution. More powerful, more beautiful. More capable of destroying the Guardians of the Galaxy. I think I shall call him Adam."

* * *

 **A couple years later, Groot's Room-** _(Groot was clearly a child, almost a teenager)_

Peter opened the door to Groot's room and took a step back at the smell, "Ugg. Seriously?! You gotta clean up your room. It's a mess." Plant and moss were everywhere. Groot sat at a desk playing a hand held game."

"I am Groot." Groot stated in a teenage attitude type way.

Peter looked taken aback, "I am not boring. You're boring. You know what's boring, sitting there, playing that mind-numbing game. What's boring is me tripping over you're vines every day! I'm not boring!"

"I am Groot." Again in a teenage attitude.

"And now I know how Yandu felt."

* * *

 **Space**

Three robed individuals sat on a floating asteroid with a humanoid grandpa looking figure who had on an Earth style spacesuit. The robed individuals began walking away from the sitting humanoid grandpa.

"Hey fellas. Hey, wait! Where are you going? Hey, you were supposed to be my lift home. How will I get outa here? Hey! Aw gee... I've got so many more stories to tell. Aw guys, Oh gee."

* * *

 **A/N:** Since Infinity war is an Avengers movie, the next installment will be posted in the Avengers category. The next story will be up in January, 2019.

 **To be continued in…** _Valkyrie: Infinity War_


	12. Next Story!

Hey everyone!

I have posted the next / last story in the series in the Avengers / Guardians of the Galaxy crossover category. I tried to post the story only in Avengers, but since names like Peter Quill and Gamora weren't available, so I chose to put it in the cross over section.

The first two chapters are currently up on Valkyrie: The End of Infinity!

\- Bluebox345


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